Monday, 27 October 2014

From the publisher: “Kudo
Kazehaya’s name evokes the wind, which is given to warn him that one day he,
too, might disappear. He almost thought his time had come—until he was rescued
by the dark, handsome, and equally mysterious Himura Rikuo. Now they both
reside where Rikuo works, the Green Drugstore, a place that dispenses not only
medicine but the secret powers of both Rikuo and Kazehaya, as the pair embark
on missions into the paranormal at the bidding of its strange proprietor,
Kakei.”

Dripping
with fan service, Legal Drug proves to be well worth the purchase. Few pages
will go by (especially in the final third) without the book dripping in gay
subtext. Apart from that though, Legal Drug has plenty of CLAMP’s trademark
imagination. Though it is disappointing that by book’s end no subplots were
concluded.

Thankfully
there is a sequel on the horizon. Instead the book opts to introduce several
new characters and disregard the main narrative altogether in the final third.
The first two thirds of the book have plenty to offer as well though. Each character
in the core cast is compelling in their own respect. Although notably missing in
the final third is the two characters providing most of the fan service (not to
mention the most interesting characters). All-in-all CLAMP’s Legal Drug was a
fun read that is easy to recommend.

From the publisher: “When a girl at
Hinata Sorazono’s school is attacked by what seems to be a bloodsucking
vampire, everyone is on edge and wonders who’s next. Hinata refuses to believe
that vampires even exist, but then she meets her new neighbor, Junya Tokinaga,
the author of an incredibly popular vampire romance novel. Dressed in a kimono
with an old-world air about him, Junya has a taste of Hinata’s blood and tells
her it’s sweet... Hinata can’t help but be drawn to Junya, but could it be that
he’s actually a vampire—and worse yet, the culprit behind the attacks?!”

Retreading several ideas from the
supernatural romance subgenre, Honey Blood manages to be both dull and forgettable.
It introduces no new ideas and is subpar with the already existing ones. That
said the final pages bring with them some promise. However as this series has
one other main volume left (the third is supposedly just one-shots and other
extras) I do not foresee there being much payoff.

The problem romance novels face is
giving the audience a reason to care about their characters and this one gives
little. Both leads are rather standard of the genre with little about them
being compelling especially the heroine. The male lead also falls into several
tropes. All-in-all Honey Blood is a boring read and offers nothing new and will
most likely be forgotten moments after being read.

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Seeing as this may very well be the
last review I do for elDLIVE I might as well do nothing remotely different with
it. Kidding (?) aside I enjoy reading this series each week. My one complaint
is that this length of a read on a weekly basis is difficult to keep up with.
That being said the artwork is gorgeous! Akira Amano makes use of colour to
superb effect. It is nice to see a
potential overarching narrative for the series. The art feels a touch rough at
times though. All-in-all elDLIVE has been a pleasure to read and I hope we get
to see more in the future!

The most notable aspect about this set of
chapters is the chapter with unfinished artwork. This sort of threw the series
off balance for me. After much dragging in the plot we have finally reached a
turning point for the series! I feel it is worth noting that the cast of
thousands aspect of the series continues to make it frustrating to follow. This
should be a pivotal moment but I’ll
be darned if I can keep track of characters at this point!

Little continues to be accomplished for the
majority of this set of chapters. Though in the third of the group Onodera and
Raku’s romance progresses slightly. Truthfully despite the relative progress in
a side plot the series is rather unrelenting with just how little it
accomplishes despite being given so much time to do it. It’s almost depressing.
Nisekoi continues to be a painful read in this clump of chapters if you see a
glimmer of hope in this like me you may want to continue otherwise perhaps just
wait until the series finishes and skip the extraneous filler chapters to
finish it up.

Monday, 20 October 2014

From the publisher: “Nang-Nak, an old poodle with blurred
eyesight, and an adorable kitten, Soondae, love their owners whom they are
loyal to. Here are the episodes of the mature dog and the energetic young
kitten that always wait for their owners to give them love and affection.”

My Kitty and Old Dog is basically a
series of vignettes about pets and their owners. Some are tragic, others are
heart-warming. The chapters are very short even given the nature of the content
so even sampling a chapter would not take too much time. Some of the more
tragic stories feel at odds for the potential audience this would appeal mostly
too. The art when applicable is nice. The webtoon plays like a sort of
biography. So in conclusion My Kitty and Old Dog is off to a decent start and I
am curious to see where it goes.

This chapter is gorgeously drawn. It has become
increasingly clear how talented Kazue Kato is as an artist. Content wise this
chapter has more substance than the previous. Culminating in a psychological
battle which in turn leads to a poetic, if tragic, conclusion. That is not to
say the last chapter was not necessary as it emotionally built up the tragedy
which unfolds. It is just that this is probably the better of the two chapters
visually as well as emotionally. If I could make one complaint it is that this
arc’s villain is a cartoon even by cartoon’s standards and is not terribly
compelling. Otherwise this chapter was fantastic!

From the publisher: “Tokumaru Tokuda is a medical student
who is taking a leave of absence from school and spending every day lazily. To
search for his big brother who went missing after sending an e-mail saying
"Help me", Tokumaru ends up going to "Western Tibet". Using
the photo that his brother sent as a hint, Tokumaru and two male guides, Sonam
and Namgyal head toward a certain valley. However, it's a valley that not even
the locals go near since it is said that the valley brings disaster on anybody
that comes near… The three men embark on their long journey on foot in Western
Tibet, the land high above the world.”

The art
in this series is the main reason I chose to include it in the column,
different from most of the manga I have seen (stylistically at least) Wheel of
Life is gorgeous to look at. Content wise, Tokumaru is a rather dull
protagonist. The setting is what establishes this series apart from other shojo
comics. Set in Tibet it is a breath of fresh air in a medium with often very
standard settings. It is clear effort went into drawing this. In conclusion, I
would say Wheel of Life is an engrossing read. I cannot wait to read more!

From the publisher: “Kotori was a normal girl who had always
been tempted down the wrong path. As she lived her normal, boring, everyday
life, trying so hard to follow her dreams, a bold chubby straw-bale cat walked
into her life. Will this cat be a god of luck for her? Or will it become a god
of misfortune, and lead Kotori down the wrong path...? A fluffy fat cat opens
up the door on this story of a woman's struggles through everyday life!”

Serialized
in Manga Box, Tawara Cat is a fun read! The comedy may not be hard hitting but
the art is really nice and the series is, if nothing else, amusing. As far as
josei (geared towards women) manga go it is nice to see the romance secondary.
The heroine is decently developed as a character. Really it’s those around her
which make this series infinitely more interesting than it may have been. A
colourful bunch of misfits each with their own quirks and eccentricities they
are. So I’d say Tawara Cat is worth the read if you enjoy pretty art and a fun
supporting cast.

Over
this (admittedly large) chunk of chapters, we have seen series’ protagonist
Mutta grow leaps and bounds as a character. The cast as a whole continues to
grow and each character is lovable in their own way. This series is an
enjoyable, if slow-paced, read and Mutta
is a fun character whose easy to cheer on. The arc Hibito has undergone is
perhaps the most compelling part of the series though it is often put in the
background. In all I’d say if you enjoy character driven science fiction you
really cannot do better than this.

From the Publisher: “Morning in the desert...a million
lives, from the smallest insect to the largest creature, all struggle for
survival in a harsh but beautiful environment. Enter Morgan, a mysterious woman
with an even more mysterious task to perform in this strange new world. Over
her travels she will meet friends and foes, and some important allies in her
quest to change the land around her for the better.

Jen Lee Quick, author of Off*Beat, Witches' Quarry, Soul
Union and more brings readers a thrilling and inventive new take on the Old
West!”

Wildly imaginative and filled with slick action
scenes, Gatesmith was a fun read. It should be noted though that the series is
holding its cards closely though as we know little about the world and
characters thus far. Chapter 1 served mostly as a means to draw the reader in
(which it succeeds quite well at!) while chapter 2 fills in some of the blank
spots and is more world building. As I said earlier the series has a LOT of
creative ideas and I am on the edge of my seat (so to speak) at this point!

From the publisher: “It's the 17th Century, and the powers
of Europe are struggling violently for dominion over the oceans. Danielle,
daughter of a Spanish lady and a French merchant, flees her constrictive
upper-class life when she receives a disturbing letter from her father,
entrusting her with a strange miniature astrolabe. But on her way from
Barcelona to Marseille, her life is threatened, she nearly drowns, and she is
befriended by a handsome pair of travelers...but Angeline and Leon are
definitely not what they claim to be.

By acclaimed comic creation team Studio Kôsen, Danielle's
journey from the palaces of Western Europe to the heart of the Ottoman Empire
will prove to be more dangerous, and more thrilling, than she ever could have
imagined!”

Serialized in Sparkler Monthly in North America,
Windrose is gorgeous to look at. That
being said there is some awkward exposition in the first 2 chapters. There are
plenty of action scenes to be found though and each character is equally
compelling. The setting sets the series apart and thus far there has been
little signs of romance which is nice. It has a kind of a YA adaptation feel.
Make of that what you will. So in all Windrose is off to a decent if a touch
rocky start it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here.

Sunday, 19 October 2014

So this is going to be the place
where I review currently airing Japanese animated shows. No schedule really. It’s
going to be limited to 5 or 6 shows at a time. No rankings (same for March of
the Manga Man) So with that in mind let’s dive in!

From the publisher: “A hot boy mermaid named Wakasa has
taken over the bath of a teenage boy named Tatsumi! This cute but selfish
freeloader is a perfect match for the cool but tender and caring Tatsumi. Let's
see how they get by together!”

As fan
service shorts go this one is off to a decent start. The opening is jarring in
contrast to the rest of the show which is light fun with some creepy overtones.
It failed to produce any laughs though it did make me smile. It is worth noting
that while Wakasa is a colourful character, Tatsumi is rather dull as a
protagonist. So in conclusion the first
2 episodes are decent. There are much better shows this season but one could
certainly do a lot worse.

From the publisher: “Based on Naoko Takeuchi’s legendary
manga series, Sailor Moon Crystal retells the story of Sailor Moon as she
searches for her fellow Sailor Guardians and the Legendary Silver Crystal to
stop the dark forces of Queen Beryl.”

With this first set of episodes
Sailor Moon Crystal is off to a great start! A gorgeous adaptation that somehow
manages to establish itself separate from the first television adaptation and
is all the better for it! More faithful to the original comic and more tightly
written than the previous anime, Crystal is poised to be one of the best anime
of 2014 if it continues this level of quality. The CG transformations are
nicely rendered certainly better than much of the Japanese CG animation I have
seen though still awkward. All-in-all Sailor Moon Crsytal is a great watch and
comes highly recommended!

From the publisher: “Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, and Mega Drive
reimagined as girls who have just enrolled in SeHaGaga Academy at Tokyo’s
Haneda Ōtorii station. They are given an assignment needed to graduate by a
suspicious teacher. To clear this requirement, the girls must enter the world of
Sega games to graduate without incident.”

Surprisingly, Hi-sCool is a good
show… in a guilty pleasure sort of way. I went into this series with LOW
expectations but found myself thoroughly entertained. The show is bright,
colorful mindless fun. A particularly funny gag is in episode 2 where a character
defeats even the most difficult foe with a head-butt. The CG looks awful though
unfortunately. Characters move through things on occasion. This is N64 quality
CG. In all, this is a series I would recommend to fans of “so bad it’s good”
shows. Otherwise you probably will not gain much from this series.

From the publisher: “Haneru Tobitatsu is a middle school
student who loves dancing! He can even dance to the rhythm of the chalkboard in
class. One day, Haneru meets Kanon, a shy girl who is practicing at a secret
dance place. The two learn the joy of dancing together and find happiness in
their dance moves.”

Haneru makes for an excellent
protagonist! It is impossible not to like this series with the infectious beats
and offbeat character designs. The show has a nice, relaxed pace and is a touch
shorter than the majority of standard length anime making it quick watch. Probably
my favorite part of this set of episodes is Kanon’s arc as a character going
from more nervous to outgoing. I cannot wait to see where the series goes from
here I will follow it every step of the way!

Mushishi Next Chapter season 2 episode 1 Directed by Masaya
Fujimori, Produced by Artland Review

From the publisher: “They are creatures only known as
‘Mushi,’ whose abilities range well into the supernatural. While their
existence and appearances are unknown to the humans around them, there are a
few like Ginko who is a ‘Mushi-shi’ that travels around to investigate and find
out more about the ‘Mushi.’ During the course of his discovery and
understanding, he helps those who are troubled by the Mushi themselves…”

Reviews
of the previous parts will follow at some point In the future. Continuing the
trend for this column for offbeat shows: Mushishi is probably one of my favorite
animated franchises. Period. This episodes does not disappoint. The series is
almost therapeutic a welcome change in
an industry wrought with hyper-activeness. It is always nice peering into Ginko’s
own past and it is some nice character development for him. If you have enjoyed
the franchise thus far this episode does not disappoint!

From the publisher: “A group of five boys and girls suddenly
acquire supernatural powers. Ready to fight in galactic battles to defend human
cause… they are struck by the realization that there are no wars, no
conspiracies, no evils empires, no nothing in their high school life. They
instead decide to idly have fun by wasting their powers away.”

Heretofore
referred to as Battle because again I am lazy, this series is a lot of fun! This
should come as no surprise for those familiar with the studio animating this.
Trigger despite being rather new is rather well adept at making shows lively
and enjoyable with this series being no exception. Despite it’s questionable
origins. Battle is pitch perfect when it comes to comedy. The drama in the
latter half of episode two does nothing but hold the show back. High school drama
is NOT Trigger’s strong suit. Such fare has been done to death at this point.
Otherwise this a fun series and I cannot wait until the next episode!

Thursday, 16 October 2014

From the publisher: “The sickness unto death is what
Kierkegaard calls despair and in this comic despair is manifested in form of a
young woman named Emiru. Emiru is a beautiful young woman from a rich family
and plenty to aspire to. Unfortunately she is consumed with grief. She does not
align herself with God or God's plan for her and needs guidance.

So when she meets a young psychology student named Futaba
she gives herself to him. In this way she loses herself to him. Kierkegaard
defines humanity as the tension between the "finite and infinite",
and the "possible and the necessary", and in this case Emiru as we
come to know her will eventually end under Futaba's guidance. But who will take
her place? And how will she and Futaba go through the balancing act between
these opposing personalities as their relationship builds.”

As a
psychological thriller Sickness Unto Death succeeds, as a romance not so much. Both
the protagonist and the heroine are compelling characters and technically it is
a unique relationship but the whole thing comes across as uncomfortable. The
books also leaves a lot of major plot threads unresolved which is rather frustrating.
The supporting cast has little time to be developed which is also grating.

That
being said, the books are well written and compelling reads it’s just they have
their flaws. The artwork is rather standard for Japanese comics there is not
much to comment on in that regard. The reason for the discomfort is the
unethical nature of their relationship which poses problems even within the
book. So in conclusion, despite my groaning here, Sickness Unto Death is an
interesting read. The core cast is compelling and it has some poetic moments.

From the publisher: “Explore fantastic realms of imagination
in this stunning collection of short stories by Kazue Kato, creator of the
smash-hit manga series Blue Exorcist! With Kato’s amazing and distinctive art
leaping from the page, Time Killers includes her first work, Boku to Usagi (Me
and the Rabbit), and features the stories and character designs that would
become her breakthrough series, Blue Exorcist. Take off on a flight of fantasy
with Time Killers!”

Time Killers is perhaps more
fascinating in seeing an artist’s progression over time than it is as a book.
The stories feel day and night different from one to the next. That is not to
say they are bad individually it is just to say… I didn’t find an overarching
theme or some connection between the stories. The stories themselves are
gorgeously drawn and, more often than not, are compelling reads. Kato states in
the back that it is meant to waste time (hence the name) so it succeeded in
that respect.

I wish some of the stories had
been longer as it would have been nice to see them in more detail. The book
itself has a really high quality pages and the colour pages really bring Kato’s
artwork to life. So in conclusion I would recommend this book to at the very
least fans of Blue Exorcist and fans of Kato’s artwork. It makes an excellent
companion work!

From the publisher: “In a tiny hut in rural India, Kavita
gives birth to Asha. Unable to afford the 'luxury' of raising a daughter, her
husband forces Kavita to give the baby up--a decision that will haunt them both
for the rest of their lives.

Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides
to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have
one of her own. When her husband Krishnan shows her a photo of baby Asha sent
to him from a Mumbai orphanage, she falls instantly in love. As she waited for
adoption to be finalized, she knew her life would change. But she was convinced
that the love she already felt would overcome all obstacles.

In a braided narrative that unites the stories of Kavita,
Somer and Asha, SECRET DAUGHTER, the debut novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda,
explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss and belonging. As the story
moves between the two families, one struggling to eke out an existence in
Mumbai, the other grappling with the challenge of raising a brownskinned child
from another culture, Gowda poignantly parses issues of culture, identity and
familial loyalty”

For once it is a novel and not a
graphic novel that is being reviewed here. Technically it is ink on paper and…
yeah, I’m stretching it. Anyway Secret Daughter, for the most part, is a solid
book. I will not go into detail about the ending but… let’s just say it
undermines pretty the entire book and renders it pointless. The book also has
some odd messages about India. If it is attempting to positively portray the
country it really fails in that regard. Despite it’s futile attempts to make
Kavita’s husband sympathetic later on he is by far the least likeable member of
the cast.

His mentality is pretty much the standard for
the people of India at least in the context of this book. To be fair the majority
of the cast is difficult to like and we spend little time outside India aside
from some brief chapters with Somer who herself is rather unlikable. It may
just be the author is incapable of creating sympathetic characters Kavita
aside. Also worth noting several subplots are never resolved and the book fails
to actually tie its plot threads together. The book as a whole comes across
more as a series of vaguely related vignettes which I am pretty certain was not
the original intent. So in conclusion Secret Daughter is not a very good debut
novel. It has several good moments and for the most part is well written but it
fails to create cohesive hole in the end.

BB: No Matter How You Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m
Not Popular volume 1-3 Story & Art by Nico Tanigawa Review

From the publisher: “Tomoko Kuroki naturally assumed she’d
be popular when she got to high school…but then cold, hard reality swooped in
for the attack! Turns out all the popularity points she’d racked up in her
video game dating sims are worth squat in real life, and Tomoko’s far from
prepared to navigate high school! How can she possibly hope to impress her
classmates when she can’t even talk to them?! A new high-school heroine is born
(maybe?)!”

Heretofore referred to as
Watamote in this and future reviews (because I am lazy), this series leaves me
torn: on the one hand bits of the humor are legitimately funny, on the other,
much of the time I spent with the books was uncomfortable. I get the feeling we
are meant to laugh at Kuroki’s misfortune which feels largely unwarranted. Not
that she is a great person by any
stretch of the imagination but her external crippling anxiety was all too
familiar for me. The times where the humor works are when it is not poking fun
at her in such a mean spirited manor.

The moments when the humor works are the true to
life moments not mocking people who are odd. In this case the comedy simply
does not work for me. Otherwise the book is rather dull though there are
occasionally some wistful moments which I enjoyed. In conclusion the only
people who will likely enjoy this are those who derive enjoyment from watching
other’s in misery. That is the punchline for this entire series thus far. I am
not one of those people so this series has little to offer.

Since my last review of the
series the manga has since spawned an anime adaptation. I will tackle that
another day. In the meantime the
question remains: is the source material worth reading? To that I must say a
resounding maybe. If one enjoys mecha series you might find this to be an
enjoyable read. However, you have to be willing to play detective and put the
pieces together yourself because the series spends little time explaining
itself.

Instead it divides its time
between romantic comedy antics and truly spectacular giant robot battles. The
former is grating while the latter is the series highlight. The problem is how
jarring the contrast between them can be. Make the situation depressing is the knowledge
that this series is essentially a mainstream sellout on the part of the author.
His previous works suffer from similar problems but lacked the grating aspects
this series has. So, in conclusion, I would say this chunk of volumes of
Knights of Sidonia is very much continuing the trends of the first. Those who
enjoyed the early volumes will certainly enjoy these but they will not be
changing anyone’s minds.

Sunday, 12 October 2014

From the publisher: “From the pen
of Moyoco Anno comes a stunning tale of self-image and self-loathing. In
Clothes Called Fat details the lives of young women earnestly revealing the
struggles women may have with their bodies and sexuality.

Noko appears to be living a great
life, she's got a good job and a loving boyfriend, but beneath a thin veneer is
a young woman who is struggling with her self-image and self-confidence as she
fights to keep her weight down. To Noko, being 5 pounds overweight means being
miles away from happiness in her lovelife and in her work-place.

Originally serialized in a major
weekly newsmagazine for adult women (Shukan Josei, the first of its kind to be
launched in Japan), this early gem from graphic novel megastar Moyoco Anno may
be her most searing work to be published in English yet, closer in spirit to
some of the best stateside indie comics—ironically, given its mainstream
pedigree—than to most translated manga. In Clothes Called Fat is an indispensable
addition to your rowing library of sequential art for mature readers.”

Despite my love of the author’s
work this is not her strongest piece. The publisher has it (accurately) framed as
a black comedy and they are certainly correct in that categorization. Of course
the problem with black comedies and stories in general is that you need at
least one character you can sympathize with on some level. That is not the case
with In Clothes Called Fat. It really is not funny either as opposed to Happy
Mania.

It’s just uncomfortable. The
characters keep pointing out how horrible the protagonist is… she is nowhere
near as unlikable as the rest of the cast until she is driven into the world of
weight loss. At book’s end she has become as vein as the rest of them. Really
the book functions best as a commentary on how looks obsessed society is.
Unless that was the goal from the beginning in which case it succeeded magnificently. So in conclusion I would say this book is an
absolute enigma to me. It is compelling in completely different ways then it
was intended to be so… make of that what you will.

From the publisher: “Sad at the thought of spending
Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the
street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them
together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master and that she’s a Santa
Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a
reindeer?!”

Sweet
Rein is, if nothing else, a fun read. That said, the story is rather standard for
a romance. This series is definitely for people who enjoy cheesy romances and
will not likely find much of an audience outside of said reader base. There is
a rather odd romance one-shot included at the back which was uncomfortable.

The
book as a whole is decent though there are no color pages to be found. The art
is nice if not in need of a bit of refinement. If you are a fan of good in a
bad way stories this will not disappoint. The book is filled with hilariously
awful ideas that left me grinning from ear to ear. So in conlclusion volume 1
of Sweet Rein is a fun read if you come in with a certain mindset, others might
be best skipping over this one.

Monday, 6 October 2014

From the Publisher: “Miyuki Nimi (15) has suffered the
biggest embarrassment of her life! Now she’s moved as far away as she can get -
to the rural prefecture of Shimane. But the wheel of destiny begins to turn as
she meets the beautiful basketball player Shou Sakomizu! Watch as an average
daydreaming girl challenges herself and the world! Laugh and cry with her in
this Mangabox-original sports drama!”

This series has one gimmick and it milks it for
all it’s worth. The protagonist is clumsy. That’s basically all I gathered from
this first chapter. The comedy does not work unless you find that one gag
hilarious. If you are looking for good sports manga look elsewhere as this
series art is not inspired either and of the pages which make up the first
chapter, most of them are dedicated to this joke.

From the publisher: “Day laborer Kazuya Shibuya is feeling
frustrated with his boring, day-to-day life when a mysterious game called
“Blackout” is delivered to him out of the blue. Not knowing what is going on,
he starts to play the game, only to find out that what is inside surpasses
anything he could have ever imagined. No one has ever managed to beat this game
shrouded in mystery. Is “death” awaiting him at the end...? The battle-filled
fantasy novel popular on website Everystar is now a manga!”

Bland and forgettable as can be, Blackout is
probably better off forgotten. It basically follows the formula Sword Art
Online, Log Horizon, BTOOM!, and many MANY other series follow. The primary
difference being that It starts on an uncomfortable note. The first chapter is
rather short and really does a poor job of establishing the plot. None of the
characters are terribly interesting.

From the publisher: “Timid teen
Aichi Sendou was never one for making a statement or even defending himself.
But when a precious trading card of his is stolen, Aichi, who has never played
Vanguard before, is set to face an acquaintance who should be an insurmountable
adversary...Kai. With the support of his favorite card and some cherished
memories, the unlikely warrior is ready to stand up for himself and to change
his life for the better.

Inspired by the hit trading card
game and the basis for the beloved anime, Cardfight!! Vanguard is poised to
stake its claim among shonen manga's elites.”

Cardfight!!
Vanguard is, if nothing else, a painful read. We are only seeing a potential
plot being set in motion in the final pages of the book. The first volume is
mostly set-up establishing the core cast and how all their problems can be
solved by a card game. Without a fundamental understanding of the game (one
which I lack) or prior investment this series gives little reason to compel the
reader to continue.

Let me
make one thing perfectly clear: I am perfectly content watching and reading children’s
marketing vehicles. The problem is that at this point there are small stakes.
Thus why should we, the readers, care about the book? I really do not get the
appeal of Cardfight!! Vanguard thus far. To be fair the antagonists are
compelling characters and the imagined action scenes are fun but otherwise this
series has little to offer to those beyond its target demographic though I feel
even they deserve better.